{"id":328518,"date":"2025-02-10T17:53:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=328518"},"modified":"2025-02-10T17:53:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:53:58","slug":"parallels-and-contrasts-between-1979-and-irans-new-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-protests\/parallels-and-contrasts-between-1979-and-irans-new-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"Parallels and Contrasts Between 1979 and Iran\u2019s New Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Iran’s 1979 revolution (right) and 2022 protests (left) side by side, capturing moments of mass demonstrations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, as Iran\u2019s clerical regime desperately attempts to project strength\u2014mobilizing government employees, security forces, and their families into the streets to mark the 46th anniversary of its establishment\u2014it has never been weaker or closer to collapse.<\/p>\n

The uprising of 2022<\/a>, shattered long-held assumptions about the regime\u2019s stability. The explosion of popular anger, sustained over months, exposed deep fissures within Iranian society. Protesters, particularly the defiant youth, took to the streets, punishing the regime\u2019s enforcers and judicial figures<\/a> during and after the uprising, proving to the world that their desire to overthrow the clerical dictatorship was unwavering.<\/p>\n

This was not an isolated event. It followed a series of national protests from 2017 to 2020, each eroding the myth of the regime\u2019s invincibility. Similarly, the unraveling of Tehran\u2019s regional proxy network and the collapse of its sole remaining ally in Syria have all reinforced the growing realization: that the regime\u2019s power is built on a fragile foundation.<\/p>\n

Yet, history reminds us that dictatorial overconfidence is nothing new. In 1979, the world was caught off guard by the swift downfall of the Shah\u2019s regime, despite its image as \u201can island of stability in a turbulent region,\u201d as described by President Carter. Lavish celebrations of Iran\u2019s 2,500-year monarchy<\/a>, military purchases fueled by oil wealth, and an iron-fisted security apparatus gave the illusion of permanence. The Shah, much like Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei today, fancied himself as a regional power broker. His generals referred to him as \u201cthe Gendarme of the Region,\u201d just as Khamenei\u2019s Revolutionary Guard commanders have claimed dominion over several capitals across the Middle East.<\/p>\n

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Protesters in Iran's cities chant: Down with the Oppressor, Be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader<\/div><\/div>
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